Elder Cetraro's last email home on his Mission:

oh Minha Nossa!! Chegou!

I thought this day would never come.... ha actually, I knew this day would come, and because of that I always have lost myself in my full time service while I can. I remember reading the story you just sent me of the return missionary my last week of training with my Zone Leader Elder Heath in Juazeiro. I remember I cried that day, I didn’t want that day to come, I dreaded the thought of it... in a good way.

I love serving the Lord, and as many youth are saying now-a-days... you only live once, YOLO, I knew that as well, you only serve once. But hey, that is life. God gives us many opportunities in our lives to live. I can honestly say that I LIVED my mission. I gave myself to the Lord. Because I have lost myself, I have also received the promised blessing that I shall find myself as well. Not only have I met, and come to know many great missionaries, members, leaders, the beautiful Brazilian people, but I have really come to know myself, and who I am. It’s incredible, and I know that this will help myself now come back and start my adult life.

I also, have come to know Someone even more important during my time here as a missionary. As Dad said in his email, I can truly look back at my mission and see the Lord’s hand in every week, everyday, and in every hour. Many people have accompanied me in these last two years. My family, my leaders, my friends that I have made here, and even the 24/7 companions. But only One has walked with me the whole way. I know, for I truly carried His name over my heart. There honestly isn’t anything in this world that I could pay to experience the constant closeness I had with my Savior. The Gospel, God’s plan and His commandments, and especially the Restoration of everything has really become a reality to me, and I am super grateful for this testimony that nobody can take away from me. Nobody could of given it to me either except a perfect Savior that knows me perfectly. And He did.

Words honestly can’t describe the feelings that I have for my mission. It really is sacred to me. Like my favorite picture which my Mom inspiredly put in my bedroom... of Moroni burying the plates, I finish my emails to my family and bear my testimony of the Lord’s Work today. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father that knows us and loves us beyond measure. He made a plan for us. He sent us here to Earth, to live and love. One of His greatest gifts He could give us was the opportunity to serve for Him in these last days. He knew that we were valiant, so He chose us to come and He prepared a way for us to steady our feet, grasp hands, encourage minds, inspire hearts, and save souls. It is what our perfect Father enjoys most, and so He made it possible to feel this great joy. To do that He called His Son, Jesus Christ and through Him all things were made possible. He lived for us, and He died for us, and in these last days, He calls us. I know He came down with His Father that wonderous spring morning in 1820. I know He restored His True Church through His servant Joseph Smith. I know that Joseph Smith was a Prophet.... you don’t know how long I have waited to be able to say that for myself. I know that he translated the Book of Mormon and that this Divine Word has changed my life in countless ways. I love the Book of Mormon with all my heart. Also, God the Eternal Father and His Son restored the Holy Priesthood here on Earth once again. I know that I hold this Priesthood, and finally I know what an honor this is. I know God called me to serve here in Fortaleza Brazil, He called my President, Francisco de Assis Souza, and He created a perfect Mission for me. I know that families can be eternal, and that endless joy and happiness awaits us and our families as we live and love this Gospel He has given us. I know the Church is True, I love my Mom and Dad, and I close this last email, in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Cya in a week! =)

December 9, 2013

WOW!
I asked for Christmas Spirit stories, and I got wonderful testimonies. I have heard many many many tender testimonies on my mission, but I don’t think there are any testimonies that touch my heart more than those of my family. It’s true. It just strengthens my faith to know that this faith that I have is shared in my family and that we have the great hope of Eternal Families, it’s good when your family looks to the eternities.

So thanks for the Christmas spirit. This week was pretty good. Wednesday, we had a District Meeting and we made the goal of baptizing 33 people (one for every year of Christ’s life) this month. We did 6 in October, and 15 in November, so it will be quite the jump but it’ll be good. I shared my thoughts with the Zone about Christmas.

Friday I did an exchange with a new missionary from Portugal, Elder Carvalho. He reminds me of the black guy from Rush Hour, a very happy excited high-pitch missionary, Fun Stuff. That day I prepared a lesson to teach the Plan of Salvation using the Proclamation to the World,The Family. I got him all excited to baptize families, it’ll be good. This week we baptized 3 youth. Giovanna, who is 14 and is the neighbor/niece of Marcelo, she wants to serve a mission. Eric, who is the Son of Leonardo who was baptized last week, and Pablo who is the son of Fabrisso who was baptized two weeks ago. It was really special this Sunday because both of the fathers were conferred the Aaronic Priesthood, and were allowed to baptize their sons. It was a surprise for the both of them! It was really special to help baptize two fathers and then help them personally baptize their sons. My testimony grew of why God gave man His power and to work in His work. That day I was really able to see the glow of the joy in others when you help them do service in the work of salvation.

Today I had an interesting talk with Elder Villalba. I was sharing how I felt I have kinda lost the "Hang Loose" spirit here on the mission. He made up an interesting phrase. "Keep the Rules, but don’t let the Rules keep you." That really touched me. I have a strong testimony that God prepared the rule book and all the standards that are made here in the mission. All these things were prepared to help me have success. But the most important thing that God prepared for me to have success here on my mission.... is Me. I need to be myself. Of all the things I can be, a Missionary, a Leader, a Companion, the most important thing I can be... is Me. So I will try to help bring Me back out. Don’t worry about me though, Elder Villalba says I am too hard on myself and I probably am, but that really helped today. Elder Villalba will probably be one of my favorite companions. Because that is what he is, a COMPANION. Elder Galves was my Pai, Elder Hodson my Hero, Elder Medrado my Son... but Elder Villalba has been great. Maybe I have to help him in many of his duties, and keeping focused, but he fills in his part as a good companion. He never lets me get down, and always lifts me up. He says I have been good to him as well.... I don’t know what I do, but he says he feels really good with me. So yeah.

If you could, pray for my Zone, and that I can continue to serve them. Love you all!  Merry Christmas and good night!
-Elder Zac Cetraro

Heeey Ther Fama,

I’ll fill y'all in a bit about my week. This week, I actually got a little reflective on everything. I looked back and thought about the spirit that I have carried my whole mission. It has really been one of  “dedication”. So I know that my dedication has been a way to show my love here on the mission. But definitely I will look for other ways to show my love for others. Elder Soares said that I am all "Accelerated" and I felt a little bad. But then I thought it was funny, what was the theme for the Zone Training this next Month? "Accelerate the Work" Ha! 

So it was very cool this Halloween this year. Because I was there in the leadership counsel where they had a lot of changes. A lot was about how we need to focus on our investigators in our studies. I liked it a lot. I learned we can show our love to the investigators through our concern and studies that we do for them, also that we need to be converted to the lessons that we are teaching. The standards of how many lessons were changed, and the work is being accelerated. Good thing I am an accelerated person, right?

Fernanda got baptized and Sunday was actually pretty special. Fernanda is the  cousin of a return missionary in our ward, Eduardo.  It was Eduardo who took her to church and stuff. Well this last weekend, the missionary who baptized him and his wife and parents came. It was very special to see the chain of testimonies that there was. Through the parent’s testimony, the missionary gained his testimony, through the missionary’s testimony, Eduardo gained his testimony, and through Eduardo’s testimony Fernanda gained a testimony and was being baptized.

Well yeah, this is the last week of the transfer and we shall see how all these changes in the mission will go. I am excited! Thanks for everything you guys and have a great week. Love you all!
-Elder Zachary Cetraro 

September 24, 2012

MY FIRST BAPTISM!!!! I have been doing a lot of splits. Well yeeeaaah, I guess it paid off! His name is Adriano Cardoso do Nascimento. I met him on a split, he is in the Zone Leader’s area. Our first visit with him was amazing. First, me and Elder Santos da Silva arrived early and we had dinner with them. He is the most humble man I have ever met. You just kinda want to hug the guy he seems so humble. Anyways that day was one of the first days I really felt discouraged about the work. But his experience was amazing. The others Elders showed up and we started a lesson. We asked him if he had received an answer (and this is the good part) and he said he did. I guess before there was a challenge with the Book of Mormon to just open it up and you will find your answer. So he showed us the scripture he found and it was Ether 8:26.

“Wherefore, I, Moroni, am commanded to write these things that evil may be done away, and that the time may come that Satan may have no power upon the hearts of the children of men, but that they may be persuaded to do good continually, that they may come unto the fountain of all righteousness and be saved.”

I was blown away. Anyways, I probably did 4 other follow up lessons with him. They have been focusing on him because he is a man with a family. But I think where he grew to like me the most though was at church, because I would always sit next to him (he is very shy) and explain things. One testimony I shared with him was about faith. How I understand how he feels with being very new. But you have got to act on what God already has given you. So yeeeah, during his interview he chose me to baptize him. I found out like 16 hours before the baptism. Crazy huh? The baptism was great =) I was fasting before I found out and I continued to fast until the baptism. So it was good. Awesome huh?!